Fishing game

ABSTRACT

A magnetic game of skill, for example, a magnetic fishing game, is provided. The game includes a game board, which, in one example, is laid out as a facsimile of a river. A plurality of well-like enclosures are provided which extend downwardly from the board from apertures which are provided in the board. For example, the apertures may be disposed in the facsimile of the river to simulate the deep pools in the river where salmon congregate. A plurality of game pieces are provided, which are formed of non-magnetic, non-magnetizable material, and are adapted to be disposed in the bottom of such well-like enclosures. For example, a plurality of &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;fish&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; may be provided, which are formed of a pair of copper wire ellipses disposed at right angles to one another, and united by means of a copper wire encircling ring. A magnet is disposed adjacent the mouth of each well-like enclosure to provide a predetermined field of magnetic flux at the mouth of the aperture leading to the well-like enclosure. For example, magnets of different strength and sizes are disposed at different locations around the perimeter of the apertures leading to the well-like enclosures. Finally, capture members are provided, formed of magnetizable material, which are adapted to grasp the game pieces, provided they pass through the magnetic flux at the mouth of the well-like enclosures. For example, the capture members may be a hook at the end of a line secured to a facsimile of a fishing rod, and formed of magnetizable material, and adapted to engage the loops of the copper wire &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;fish.

United States Patent 1 Baker Sept. 17, 1974 FISHING GAME [76] Inventor:Gordon W. Baker, Middleton,

Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, Canada [22] Filed: Sept. 25, 1972 [21]Appl. No.: 293,304

Primary ExaminerAnt0n O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerPaul E. ShapiroAttorney, Agent, or FirmFred C. Philpitt [5 7] ABSTRACT A magnetic gameof skill, for example, a magnetic fishing game, is provided. The gameincludes a game board, which, in one example, is laid out as a facsimileof a river. A plurality of well-like enclosures are provided whichextend downwardly from the board from apertures which are provided inthe board. For example, the apertures may be disposed in the facsimileof the river to simulate the deep pools in the river where salmoncongregate. A plurality of game pieces are provided, which are formed ofnon-magnetic, non-magnetizable material, and are adapted to be disposedin the bottom of such well-like enclosures. For example, a plurality offish" may be provided, which are formed of a pair of copper wireellipses disposed at right angles to one another, and united by means ofa copper wire encircling ring. A magnet is disposed adjacent the mouthof each well-like enclosure to provide a predetermined field of magneticflux at the mouth of the aperture leading to the well-like enclosure.For example, magnets of different strength and sizes are disposed atdifferent locations around the perimeter of the apertures leading to thewell-like enclosures. Finally, capture members are provided, formed ofmagnetizable material, which are adapted to grasp the game pieces,provided they pass through the magnetic flux at the mouth of thewell-like enclosures. For example, the capture members may be a hook atthe end of a line secured to a facsimile of a fishing rod, and formed ofmagnetizable material, and adapted to engage the loops of the copperwire fish.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FISHING GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A.Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to a game, andmore particularly to a magnetic game of skill. More specifically, itrelates to a magnetic fishing game involving a high degree of skill.

B. Description of the Prior Art Many magnetic fishing games have beenproposed, but most rely on luck rather than skill in their playing. InUS. Pat. No. 2,557,789 issued June 19, 1951 to J. F. Lamka, the conceptis provided of a hollow, floatable fish having a nose portion formed ofsoft iron or other metal which is easily attracted by a magnet. The fishare caught by a fish pole including a string to which is attached apermanent magnet. No obstacles are provided to make the catching of thefish more difficult.

In US. Pat. No. 2,747,872 issued May 29, 1956 to L. A. Harvey, analleged improvement to provide a game requiring skill and care to keepthe fish within the grasp of the magnet while drawing the fish throughthe fish pond is provided by means of a tortuous channel between variousobstacles in the fish pond.

In US. Pat. No. 3,249,357 issued May 3, 1966 to C. R. Luchsinger, afurther modification is provided by having both the fish and hazardsformed of a magnetizable material. The arrangement of the gamecomponents is alleged to call for a manual dexterity requiring a highdegree of skill and precision in order to catch the fish without beingfouled by the hazards.

US. Pat. No. 3,545,750 issued Dec. 8, 1970 to J. J. Stachnik, Sr.provides a magnetic fishing game which combines the elements of chanceand skill by having a housing with a receptacle rotatably mounted in thehousing and in which the fish rests. An agitating member projectsdownwardly into the receptacle to shift the fish as the receptaclerotates. The hook to catch the fish is inserted into an opening in thehousing. The location of the fish is therefore random.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A. Aims of the Invention Accordingly, it is anobject of a principal aspect of this invention to provide a magneticgame of skill (e.g., a magnetic fishing game) in which simulatingobstacles are provided inhibiting the capture of the game pieces (e.g.,simulated wind and current factors inhibiting the catching of the fish).

B. Broad Statement of the Invention By a broad aspect of this inventiona magnetic game of skill (e.g., magnetic fishing game) is provided,comprising: a game board (e.g., laid out as a facsimile of a river); aplurality of well-like enclosures depending downwardly from the boardfrom apertures formed in the board (e.g., disposed in the facsimile of ariver to simulate deep pools in the river); a plurality of game piecesformed of non-magnetic, non-magnetizable material and adapted to bedisposed in the bottom of such well-like enclosures (e.g., a pluralityof fanciful replicas of fish formed of a pair of copper wire ellipsesdisposed at right angles to one another, and joined together byencircling band or bands;) a magnet disposed adjacent each well-likeenclosure to provide a predetermined field of magnetic flux at the mouthof the aperture leading to the well-like enclosure (e.g., magnets ofdifferent strengths and disposed at different locations around theperimeter of the apertures leading to the well-like enclosures) andcapture members formed of magnetizable material but adapted to grasp thegame pieces (e.g., a hook at the end ofa line secured to a facsimile ofa fishing rod and formed of magnetizable material, and adapted to engagethe loops of the copper wire fish).

VARIANTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention is more specificallydirected to a magnetic fishing game which closely simulates salmonfishing. As any experienced salmon fisherman knows, this species is, byfar, the most difficult to catch on fly, the legal lure on most streamsin North America.

Salmon, hatched in rivers of North America go the sea and first returnto their spawning ground, in the river of their birth, as grilse. Aftersubsequent returns to the sea, where growth is rapid, they again seekout their birthplace and spawn on gravel bars, generally in theheadwaters. It is the consensus that the older the fish the moredifficult she is to catch. The time of migration upstream toward thespawning ground varies in different rivers. On the whole, they migratein April, May and June.

In the course of proceeding up the river they pause in pools andinvariably take up their position behind some obstruction which deflectsthe current and makes it easier for them to rest. The bigger fish seemto prefer certain pools and it appears that the older and bigger thefish, the more difficult she is to catch.

Unlike the trout, for example, the salmon is reluctant to take a flyunless it is presented in close proximity to her nose. The placing ofthe fly to suit the salmon requires considerable casting skill, not onlyto combat the breeze or wind, so prevalent on rivers, but also to gaugethe current in order to have the fly swing around to an enticingposition.

The magnetic fishing game of the present invention has for its mainobject the duplicating of the conditions facing the salmon angler oncertain pools.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the game with the pictorial coveringremoved;

FIG. 2 is a section along the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section along the line III-Ill of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the fishing pole; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fish.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, thegame comprises a bottom section 10 and a superposed top section 11desirably secured together by hinges 13 along one edge l4, 15 of thebottom and top sections 10, 11 respectively and a hook 16 along anopposed edge 17, 18.of the bottom and top sections 10, 11 respectively.

The bottom section 10 comprises a pair of mutually opposed side walls20, 21 (see FIG. 2), a pair of mutually opposed end walls 22, 23 (seeFIG. 3) and a bottom 24. The upper section 1 1 comprises a pair ofmutually opposed side walls 25, 26 (see FIG. 2), a pair of mutuallyopposed end walls 27, 28 (see FIG. 3), and a ceiling 29. Side walls 25,26 extend upwardly from the ceiling 29 to provide auxiliary side walls30, 31, and similarly end walls 27, 28 extend upwardly from the ceiling29 to provide auxiliary end walls 32, 33. Walls 30, 31, 32, 33 areprovided with rabbets 34, 35, 36, 37 to provide border walls 38, 39, 40,41 respectively. The border walls provide a sunken effect. The base ofrabbets 34, 35, 36, 37 provides a ledge 42, 43, 44, 45 to which thepictorial covering (shown in broken lines 46 in FIGS. 2 and 3) issecured. The bottom of walls 25, 26, 27, 28 rests on the top of walls20, 21, 22, 23 respectively.

As seen in FIG. 1, the ceiling 29 is provided with a plurality (namelyfour) apertures 47, 48, 49, 50. Disposed in the apertures and extendingupwardly therefrom to a height which is lower than the height of theborder walls 38, 39, 40, 41 are collars 51, 52, 53, 54 respectively,formed of a non-magnetic or non-magnetizable material e.g., a suitablesynthetic plastics material, e.g., polyethylene, polystyrene, vinyl,etc. The collars 51, 52, 53, 54 should preferably be bevelled in orderto prevent being hooked. Disposed below each aperturecollar combinationand secured to the bottom 24 is a flat, closed ended cup 55, 56, 57, 58.The cups each are of a diameter, at its open end adjacent ceiling 29,greater than the diameter of the collar. The interior of the closed endis in the form of a hemisphere 59, 60, 61, 62.

Disposed at predetermined, different locations around the collars 51,52, 53, 54 are magnets 63, 64, 65, 66 of different sizes and magneticstrengths. Once the collars and magnets have been put in place andsecured there, the pictorial covering 46 (e.g., the river scene) isstretched over the collars and magnets to be secured as hereinabovespecified.

As seen in FIG. 4, the facsimile of the fishing rod is formed of aslightly tapered rod 67 formed of a suitable synthetic plastics material(e.g., as specified above), and having a round gripping butt 68. A fine,silk-like thread line 69 is secured to the tapered end, and, to the endof the line is a hook 70. The thread, in a preferred embodiment, shouldbe about 12 inches in length, and the hook 70 may, in a preferredembodiment, be a No. double hook fly hook, dulled and with the featherstrimmed to A inch overall width.

As seen in FIG. 5, the fish 71 are formed of non-magnetizable (i.e.,copper) wire, first shaped in the form of two ellipses 72, 73 which areplaced at right angles to one another and joined together, as bysoldering, by means of an encircling band 74.

OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT To play the game, the hook isdropped into a cup 55, 56, 57, 58 and a copper wire fish is retrieved.Difficulties are provided by the fact that the hook must pass through azone of magnetic flux before it can possibly engage any fish." If skilland dexterity are not used, the hook will be attracted to and be held bythe magnetic flux by means of the magnet, and could come into contactwith the pictorial covering 46.

One manner of playing the game would be by the following rules. Theplayers decide the total number of fly casts (drops) each player shallmake. The total casts allotted the player may be made at one pool ordistributed over any or all of the pools. The total weight of salmoncaught decides the winner.

CONCLUSIONS From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art caneasily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, andwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make variouschanges and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usagesand conditions. Consequently, such changes and modifications areproperly, equitably and intended to be, within the full range ofequivalence of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A magnetic game of skill, comprising: a game board laid out as afacsimile of a river; a plurality of well-like enclosures dependingdownwardly from said board from apertures provided therein; a pluralityof game pieces each comprising a simulated fish formed of a pair ofcopper wire ellipses disposed at right angles to one another and unitedby means of an encircling copper wire ring, said pieces adapted to bedisposed in the bottom of such well-like enclosures; a magnet disposedadjacent each well-like enclosure to provide a predetermined field ofmagnetic flux at the mouth of the aperture leading to the well-likeenclosure; and a capture member adapted to grasp the game piecesprovided the capture member passes successfully through the magneticflux at the mouth of the well-like enclosures.

2. The game of claim 1, wherein the game board is in the form of a pairof rectangular, superposed boxes, hingedly secured to one another, inwhich the upper such box is provided with a base in which are providedthe plurality of apertures, and in which each aperture is surrounded bya collar; and in which the lower such box is provided with a base onwhich are mounted the hollow well-like enclosures, the mouths thereofbeing aligned with respective such collars in said upper box.

1. A magnetic game of skill, comprising: a game board laid out as afacsimile of a river; a plurality of well-like enclosures dependingdownwardly from said board from apertures provided therein; a pluralityof game pieces each comprising a simulated fish formed of a pair ofcopper wire ellipses disposed at right angles to one another and unitedby means of an encircling copper wire ring, said pieces adapted to bedisposed in the bottom of such well-like enclosures; a magnet disposedadjacent each welllike enclosure to provide a predetermined field ofmagnetic flux at the mouth of the aperture leading to the well-likeenclosure; and a capture member adapted to grasp the game piecesprovided the capture member passes successfully through the magneticflux at the mouth of the well-like enclosures.
 2. The game of claim 1,wherein the game board is in the form of a pair of rectangular,superposed boxes, hingedly secured to one another, in which the uppersuch box is provided with a base in which are provided the plurality ofapertures, and in which each aperture is surrounded by a collar; and inwhich the lower such box is provided with a base on which are mountedthe hollow well-like enclosures, the mouths thereof being aligned withrespective such collars in said upper box.